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May 25, 2009

G45: Red Sox 6, Twins 5

Jonathan Papelbon allowed another two-run homer with twos in the ninth inning -- to Joe Mauer this time -- but got the next batter for the save.

DH Mike Lowell had four hits, Dustin Pedroia had three, and Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 20. Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay each drove in two runs. Jeff Bailey's dong in the eighth gave the Sox their sixth run.

No. Not again. I think I got figured out what I need. That's it. I've got to keep on playing. No more breaks. Ride or die from now on. ...

I'm feeling good. My balance is good. I'm seeing the ball. I am what I am. I like what I am. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm taking good swings. There's nothing much you can do about it. Sometimes you put a good swing on the ball, and it won't go nowhere. ...

What you can never do is just give up. You've got to keep fighting, man, keep fighting, keep on fighting. That's all I've got in me right now. Keep fighting.

Dave Magadan:

I think his mechanics look very good in his pregame work. I think in the game, he gets to a point where he gets a little late in getting ready and his mechanics kind of fall apart a little bit. Maybe it's a matter of just continuing the repetition and the pregame stuff so when the game starts, he's not thinking about what he's working on so much and he can just react where the baseball is.

64 comments:

Looks like Papi IS getting another day off. I see what they're goin' for here--put Youk at third, have Lowell and Papi be a DH platoon, and then...insert first baseman, since Jeff Bailey is probably not the answer.

ha! It was part of a longer quote, it was: "Well, everybody talks about Purple Rain, and, what's that other one...1998" and TC says "1999" and then Jim says, "yeah, 1999...there are a couple that I like..."

Hi to those here. Looks like a quiet thread. Everyone must be out doing Memorial Day stuff. We've been out and away all weekend. Spent yesterday with a family of Mets fans in NY. At least the Sox won the game yesterday.

We were in the Berkshires for a wedding on Saturday night and in Brooklyn yesterday for my son-in-law's grandmother's 100th birthday. Crazy hectic weekend with lots of driving, but lots of good times (but not much baseball).

Go get Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego. Get him now. Give them HH. They will be dealing Peavy soon so they will want a young arm. Papi and Lowell can do the switch off thing and play the occasional field. That would really bring some power to an already powerful line up. Bailey or Gonzalez? You pick.

That's ridiculous, 9C. To make a statement that Pap is not as effective this season is not suggesting that the team is in 4th place or having a pre-04 mentality. It is a pretty accurate statement of his performance this year. He has consistently given up hits, sometimes extra base hits, more so than in prior seasons. The fact that he has only one blown save does not mean he has been as effective as in prior seasons.

If people cannot express any critical opinions or concerns without being accused of being "pre-04," then all we will have here is cheerleading rah-rah statements and no actual discussion of reality.

Amy said... That's ridiculous, 9C. If people cannot express any critical opinions or concerns without being accused of being "pre-04," then all we will have here is cheerleading rah-rah statements and no actual discussion of reality.

Is it,That's fine you feel that way , but the fact of the matter, it is just not true...So when people start saying Pap is not effective that he has been in the past , it turns into a knee-jerk reaction and some people believe it to be true....And it is May 25 , In my opinion, if you are looking to find faults in this team , he isn't the guy I look at....

And people can express any opinion they want, this isn't my blog, and if the blogowner doesn't want me using sarcasm to make my snarky comments , then he can tell me. And you can call me on it as well...And as to discussions in reality , he has one blown save and we are in first place....

I am not a stats person and have no ease with BR, but if I am reading it correctly, Pap gave up 4 HRs last season in total; he has already given up 3 this season. Last year he walked 8 batters TOTAL for the season; this year he has already walked eleven. He has hit two batters so far this season; last year he hit no one. (I cannot tell you where he stood a year ago today on hits allowed, strikeouts, etc., but maybe someone who is more expert at using BR can do that.)

That is the reality, not just my impression. He may have only one blown save, but I think he has come much closer to blowing others than in the past, and I think I am right to be a bit concerned.

Feel free to disagree and to prove me wrong. But please don't say I am expressing a pre-04 attitude. I still believe Pap is good, I still believe the Sox can and will be in the post-season. But I do not see Pap's pitching to be "lights out" like I did in 07 and most of 08.

No problem. I always enjoy debating the facts, but having been a Sox fan both pre and post 04, I know I no longer have that old attitude. And sometimes it is just so damn hard to read tone on the internet, so I am sorry if I came off as defensive.

Amy said... No problem. I always enjoy debating the facts, but having been a Sox fan both pre and post 04, I know I no longer have that old attitude. And sometimes it is just so damn hard to read tone on the internet, so I am sorry if I came off as defensive

And sometimes I have trouble conveying what I really meant, the pre 04 stuff was more for others than you.....